Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40221645›Full record

Observational studyBMC emergency medicine2025

How much time do nurses in Norwegian emergency departments spend on different work tasks with and without a clinical pharmacist present-a time and motion study.

Renata Vesela Holis, Beate Hennie Garcia, Elin Christina Lehnbom, Marie Fagerli, Ashrak Majeed, Tine Johnsgård, Birgitte Zahl-Holmstad, Kristian Svendsen, Eirik Hugaas Ofstad, Torsten Risør and 4 more

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC emergency medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Renata Vesela HolisHospital Pharmacy of North Norway Trust, Tromsø, Norway. Renata.Vesela.Holis@sykehusapotek-nord.no.
Beate Hennie GarciaHospital Pharmacy of North Norway Trust, Tromsø, Norway.
Elin Christina LehnbomDepartment of Pharmacy, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Marie FagerliDepartment of Pharmacy, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Ashrak MajeedDepartment of Pharmacy, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Tine JohnsgårdHospital Pharmacy of North Norway Trust, Tromsø, Norway.
Birgitte Zahl-HolmstadHospital Pharmacy of North Norway Trust, Tromsø, Norway.
Kristian SvendsenDepartment of Pharmacy, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Eirik Hugaas OfstadInstitute of Clinical Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Torsten RisørDepartment of Public Health, Section for General Practice & Research Unit for General Practice, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Scott R WalterPopulation Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Marit WaasethDepartment of Pharmacy, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Frode SkjoldDepartment of Pharmacy, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Renate ElenjordHospital Pharmacy of North Norway Trust, Tromsø, Norway.

Funding

Helse Nord RHF HNF1483-19
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe emergency department (ED) is a demanding work environment where nurses undertake a variety of clinical and administrative tasks, including medication-related tasks. The integration of a clinical pharmacist into the ED team represents a complex intervention with potential implications for nurses' distribution of work time, particularly concerning medication-related tasks. This study examined the distribution of work time among ED nurses and assessed the impact of a clinical pharmacist's presence on this distribution, with an emphasis on medication-related work tasks.

methodsA direct observational time and motion study was conducted to evaluate the work time distribution of nurses in three Norwegian EDs, applying the Work Observation Method By Activity Timing (WOMBAT) methodology. Time distributions were measured for non-medication-related tasks, medication-related tasks, standby and movement, both in the absence and presence of a clinical pharmacist in the same ED.

resultsA total of 298 h of nursing work time were observed, comprising 138 h without pharmacists present and 160 h with pharmacists present. In the absence of a pharmacist, nurses spent 62.7% of their time on non-medication-related tasks, 34.7% on standby and movement, and 3.3% on medication-related tasks. The introduction of a clinical pharmacist did not significantly change the overall distribution of nurses' work time, although some variations were noted across the EDs.

conclusionED nurses in three Norwegian EDs dedicated only 3.3% of their work time to medication-related tasks. The presence of clinical pharmacists did not substantially affect the distribution of nurses' work time.

Indexed as

Emergency NursingEmergency Service, HospitalNursing Staff, HospitalPharmacistsWorkloadAdultFemaleHumansMaleNorwayTime and Motion StudiesAcute careEmergency departmentMedication-related tasksNursesPharmacistsTime and motion studyTime distributionWOMBAT

Identifiers

PMID40221645
PMCPMC11993952

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.